Collapsible pontoon for aeroplanes and the like



Jan 6, 1931. 1. M. EVENSEN 1,787,975

coLLAPslBLE PoNTooN Fon AERoPLANEs AND THE LIKE:

original Filed March 16, 192s sheets-sheet 1 dhd) m Srl .ier wn n@ mE RW s" s o T Mgg... ma um Hm N/MY% E B w F, I J

Jan. 6, 1931.v

1. M. EvENsEN C'OLLAPSIBL PONTOON `IOR AEROPLANES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 16, 1928 INVNTOR Patented Jan. 6, 19311 70m-Ice .iNGWALn MARTINIUsEvENsEN, or monouso, ONTARIO, CANADA connnrsinnn ronroon. non AnnorLANnsaNb Tniinrxn 'i yApplieati'unf med March 1e, 192s, serial nfzeazve.' minima`l May 2s, Isso.

i This inventionrrelateslto a system of collapsible 'pontoons -or floats for aeroplanes` or.

the like, as described in the present specilication fandfillustrated in the accompanying `4i drawings which formpartei same.-

- The invention consists essenti lly of 'the novel features pointed out'bro'adly and specifically in the claim for novelty yfollowing an explanation containing la descriptionin detail of an acceptable'form ofthe,y invention.f.r The objects of the inventionA are to provide emergency means whereby the aeroplane may be kept afloat .itfor any reasonit has `1li been forced to'y alight on the surfacek of. any

` bodyl of water over which it may be traveling., and thus greatly reduce thehazard in flying over bodies of water; to construct in an aeroplane means whereby thek body of' the 30 f yvide meansl for propulsionosameover the f surface of tliebody of water; and generally, to `provide a simple and durable construction requiring little care or-skill in operation and poses. ,f

1 In the drawings, Figure 1 side elevalofliigu-rev; i'. n i Figure? is asectional detail on line 7--7 'infFigurei.'v f Y e Like numeralsof reference indicatecor-i n ,45 yresponding*parts in the variousiligures.

l fleferring tothe drawings,v 10 is va typicalaeroplane having the wings 11, the propeller 125; the landing gear 13 and 13A, the Vfuselage lor 1:5; and? -thef--rudders and .steering apparatus 14. 16 are weatherproof and waterfen'tra'nce inthebodyl of the plane.

aeroplane may -be used as a boat and topfocapabler oiaccomplishing the' aforesaid-purav Lv Figure 6Vis an enlarged yfra'grnentary View proof doors situatedinthe side .off the Vfuselage 15 and affording meansforthe usual 17y :are the; usuall windows. (Joinpartmentsg` 19am formed-ainl the sidesof lthe fuselageandeach 66 f compartment Yis enclosed on` the outer-side or the yside towards `the i weather by a pairof doors23' andV 24 hinged atl25y and 25A, respectivelyjp'lhe ldoors 23 and "24 are adapted to-closey and form aweatherproof jointalong 00 Y thebevelledpedges 23A oifsthe` door 23-nd 4kautomobile tires andV a similarly-shaped* ba 22 made'of rubberized canvas or fabric an to yaiording means of vprotecting the inner ,bag 21, said casing and bag taking a shape substantially as yshown :in Figures 2.,.and 3y on inflation of the inner bag. 21. y'The bag.A or .casingl22 is secured tothe Wall20pby means 75 oflcement or other suitablem'aterial, and is partially secured ktoi 1the doors 23 and ,24 in a similar manner. The .slackportious of said bags v21 'andf22 when. said vbags are deflated are'. folded up as bestshown in Figure-4; The .o Y bag 21 may beinflated in, a similar manner to lthatfused in* inlating automobile tires', that isv by means of aV vvalve container' 27( sealed tothe bag 21 in theusuall way and extending throughl the casing'22 4and. throughr the lu;

inner wall `20 and exposing the portion 3.0 011-' to which the usual air pressure pump 'may be attached, 'andthebag 20inflated by actuating Vthe pumpjfm'anually. The, bags 21 may be dellateddepressing the valve-inside in the @o valve container 27 or by removing the valveiinsidealtogether, similar lto the manner of ,Y

deflating':automobile tubes; Y e

' Th'edoors 23 andf2l' are so `securedwhen closed-that when a certain pressure'hasfbeen i,95

" reached 'in' the bag 21, said pressure will' opierate to release the locking mechanism which holds said doors 2'3and 2elclosed-and they-- willbeopene'd automatically, thus allowing the bags tovbe fully inflated.

andv mechanismvforoperating same is'bestV In Figures 5, 6 and 7, the locking means shown. 40 `area plurality'of projections extendingV from .the bevelled edge 24A of the i door 24. The extended portions 40 lie in recesses 40B formedin the doorv23 When the doors v23 and 24: are ,in their closed positions.

1 Inthe door23, grooves 33 parallelto the edge 23Aiare formedand extend onfeithersideof. the Vrecess 40B. Bolts 31are reciprocallyx mounted in "said grooves andare adapted to movetovvards and-into the opening `34 on y either side of the extended portionl40 to effec'- tively retain` said :extended port-ion4()l in the recess 40B and thus retain the doors in y their closedpositions. The bolts31 are retainedin the grooves 33 by means of the plate 35'placed Yover the groove 33 and suitably secured to the doori23 by 4screvvs orother'suitable means. Springs -32 situated in fthe groove-33'and impinging against the opposite endxof the bolt 31 andagainst the end' of the slot at 33A, tend to'retain the boltsin their operative position. Inlorder to WithdraW-thebolts from' the open# ing 34 to allow the doorsto svvingopen when thefbags'21are inflated,` a resilient tongue 42 is secured at one end tothe inner side'of the door,fas at 43,v and has its free en-d raised, as

shown in Figure 4.` A pair of toggles36have one end pivotally secured to the bolts 31, re-

spectively, as art-38,' and the other end pivot- Y ally hinged on the'pin 39. The ends ofthe toggles'36 Which are attached to the bolts 31 are inserted througha slot `or Vopening 37 formed in the plate 35 and are free to" recipro'ca'te'in said 'opening'37 Said' toggles 36 arewso formed that when the vbolts 31 are in their operative position, thehinged joint V39 will be some distance fromithe inner surface ofthe door23 and bears against the resilient tongue 42, asbest shown Figures 4 andi'. The :casing 22 of the'iniatable bags 21 bears againsttheresilient tongue 42, and when the bag 21 is iniiated, pressure Will be applied on resilient tongue '42 and the"V pivoted )oint 39 Will be forced towards theldoors 23 jand -24 and thel other endsof thetoggles 36 VWill'act von the pinf38 to reciprocate the bolts 31 utofengagement With the openings 34.V

It Will'be seen that'the ydoor 24 Will be released `from the door 23 and theywillbeallovved to Y Without inflatingftherbags21a 44 is secured to the resilient portion of the tongue f swing open. In o rder deflation f .the bags V21 or lmay befoopened 42 g and reciprocally mounted .thev opening 45 in therdoor i-A Wing nut 461is threaded thereon. It Will'be-seen-thatvon threading :the Wingnut 46 ontothe bolt 44,.saidbo'ltV Will be -tensionedtofdraw the resilientipor "tion of the tongue42 towards .the door 23 and `Will thus act on the toggles 36 tor-Withdraw .5; slots'33 so that the doors maybeclosedafter l place,

the door 23 and Will thus act on the toggles 36Y to Withdraw the bolts 31 into the slots 33. Y

In order that the several bags 21 in the different compartments 19 may be inated simultaneously and quickly in case of emergency, a pressure tank containing air underv` or-'body of the pl'anecommunicatingwith the several bags and having a shut off valve closing or openlngvsalvdcommunications so that,

on opening said valve,the air under pressure Will force Yits Way into the different bags 21 Yhigh pressure.V may be installed in the fuselage Y and inflate them simultaneously and quickly. In Figures. 2 and 4 this inflating means is best *o to eachinatable bag 21 'sorthat if the pressure fails in the pressure tank, each bag may be inflated individually, and' as stated above, bymeans of a hand pump being attached to the nipple30 and operated manually. 1 If it is desired to raise the pressure in the tank 50,

a Vhand 'pump-or compressor 53 is secured to the tank andmay be used to increase the pressure in the tankfrom time to time. Y

"9; vMean-s forfpropelling'the plane along surface vof thelwater is shownin Figure 1.

"60ris a small auxiliary motor having the propeller 61 which "may be `lowered below the under surface: of the fuselage or body l15 and Y into the Water.' Any of the usual propulsion Vmethods used in :small motor boats in which a disappearing propeller system is used may 'be made'use of vin this case. --62 is a trap door or slide .door situatedin the'floor ofthe body of the plane and Vadapted to open toallow'the. propeller to be lowered into the Water. andi-J below` the oor line of the plane and adapted tobe closed When thereis no need for the auxiliary propelling system.A It Will be noted that it is necessary that ally joints in connecvv'tion with the auxiliary-'propelling system must be Waterproof, so that .th-ere' will Ebegno leakage of Water into the body `or'fuselage 15 When the auxiliary propeller'isrlowered into the Water. Y f' It vvill'also be noted that in place oifafsingle inflatable bag21 in each of the compartmentsV 19'of the casing 22, a plurality of `bags each carrying individual means of inflation may fail through leakage, its connection may be severed from the main pressuresystemi and one ofthe other bags be'inflatedftotakefits 'be used'without going beyond thescopeV ofVV Athis invention. The advantage of Vthis is quite evident, since iffone ofthe inflated bags In the operation of this invention, for ordi.-

4nary fiying purposes, the several infiatable bags 21 are deflated and folded in their in-y dividual compartments and the enclosing doors 23 and 24 are closed so that a smooth stream line effect is attained on the sides of the fuselage; The pressure in the high pressure tank 50 is of course maintained at all times, but when the bags 21 are deflated', the shut off valve y52 is closed. If for any reason the plane is forced tovdescend to the surface of a body of Water over which it is ying, the shut off Valve 52 is opened and the bags 21 are immediately inflated and open the doors 23 and 24 automatically, as explained before,

thus affording an elicient system of pontoons to retain the plane on the surface of the Water. When it ris desired to propel the plane through the Water andl use it as a boat,the

auxiliary motor 60 With its propeller 61 is brought intooperation, and thus an'eiiicient y means ofretaining the plane on the surface of the Water and at the same time propelling it from place to place, is provided.

compartments in the side Walls of the plane body having open ports and inner leakproof Walls, co-acting'hinged doors secured to the body Wall and adapted in their closed position to enclose the compartment open fronts,

` bolts reciprocally mounted on said upper "i bags.

extensions on said lower doors adapted to be positioned'in recesses in said upper doors,

doors adapted to engage in openings insaid lower door extensions, toggles secured to said bolts, a n plate resiliently mountedv to said upper door and bearing on said toggles,

inflatable bags in said compartments `adapted e to'bear against said, resilient plate' onr infiation and cause the Withdrawal of said bolts, andmeans for v.inflating and deflating said *SignedA at Toronto, Canada, this 16th day of February, 1928. .i y Y INGVVALD M. EVENSEN. 

